The New York Yankees are expected to ask free-agent closer Mariano Rivera to take a pay cut to return in 2013, according to CBSSports.com.

Rivera, who will turn 43 later this month, suffered a season-ending knee injury in early May. There were recent reports that he was leaning toward retirement, though the New York Post reported this past weekend that Rivera would return for the 2013 season.

Because his two-year, $30 million contract ended after the World Series, Rivera is a free agent. He is expected to re-sign with the Yankees, with whom he has spent his entire 18-season major league career. However, New York admittedly is trying to spend more wisely to get under the luxury-tax threshold.

“He obviously wants to be here, and we want him back,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told the New York Daily News. “That’s the hard part. So I’m confident we’ll be able to work through the issues, whatever they are.”

Rivera, the all-times saves leader with 608, went 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA and five saves in nine appearances before tearing his ACL this past season.